Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Schizophrenia?

Cannabinoids are naturally occurring chemical compounds that originate within animals, humans, plants and can also be created synthetically within a lab. CBD, is a phytocannabinoid which can be obtained from the hemp and cannabis plants. Studies, clinical trials as well as anecdotal evidence state that it have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties which can be used to help treat a wide variety of conditions with inflammatory symptoms.

CBD stands for Cannabidiol and it is said to have a number of side effects but none of which have been considered serious i.e. tiredness, headaches and sleeplessness etc. THC is a cannabinoid found only within the cannabis plant and it provides neurological effects which can get people high. It is this nurological influence that is sparking interest in researches for cannabinoid use in treating schizophrenia.

The aim of this report is to give a holistic neurochemical profile so there is more knowledge in how cannabinoids may affect cognitive impairment.

Cannabinoids May Improve Cognitive Impairment

Recent studies have discovered that cannabinoids may better neuropsychological aspects in the brain, alleviate negative disorders, and have antipsychotic abilities for people with schizophrenia. This discovery is conflicting to the longstanding history of side effects of cannabis use, more on the positive side, and a normal neurochemical basis for these opposing views is lacking.

This report gives us some knowledge of the neurobiological substrates of schizophrenia and the neurochemical effects of cannabis use in the normal population, in both prefrontal cortical and subcortical brain regions.

Cannabinoids Can Have Therapeutic Effects

Marijuana use in people with schizophrenia has been seen to increase the effects of the disorder. However, evidence exists for some people that cannabinoids have analgesic effects on the positive and negative symptoms, as well as cognitive impairments. Although these findings require further work in this particular field, a more extensive and broad-based neurochemical profile has been delivered in this report, giving an reason for the potentially analgesic effects of cannabinoids in addition to its side effects.

Whilst the neurochemical impacts of cannabinoids are strange, cannabinoids seem to have at least in part, a positive impact on neurotransmitter disorders in schizophrenia, which may ‘underpin the biological substrate of the long term therapeutic effects in marijuana.

Registered with the British Psychological Society, breaking the taboo on mental health issues is one of the driving forces in Jonathan's life. His background in biomedicine gives him additional understanding of the factors that work together to influence the human condition.